Snow-melting machine.



O. MijLLER, M. WILLNUS 55 C. WEISHAAR. SNOW MELTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.14,19IO.

969,716. Patented Sept.6,1910.

2 SHEETS-431111171 1.

W1 TA'ESS' W [NVENTORJ MULLER, M. WILLNUS & f. WBISHYAAR.

SNOW MELTING MACHINE.

AIPLIUATION FILED MAR.14,1910.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

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2 emits Ilv'iliGI-IAEL WIZJQNUS AND CHRISTIAN SNOVFMELTING IEJACHINE.

seems,

Specification of Leeters Feccnt.

Peseneed Sepfi 6, i919.

' Applieafion filed March 34, 1910. Serial 350' 549,153.

To on whom it may concern:

- Be it known the; We, @sonn MiiLLsn, Mi-

CHAEL, vVILLNUs; and CHRISTIAN lVEISl-IAAR, jsll-cieizens of the United States, said M 51- ms residing New York city, New York,

end-sold WI LNUs and lVEISHAAR both re- 7s1 din 3I'J El12alleih m the county oi Union discovered ceslzeinnew and useful improve- 1 the following is mghsd therein legs.

cd is subjected to -zhe action of {one of New Jersey have invented or m et in Snow-Melting'Mschines, of which a specification, reference locto the accompanying dmww ll preferably he 1W vehicle s drive i snow, the tor inio lin A f which is a. revolviio agitator of peculiar construction, and i which took the snow to be inclthe smoke end products of combustion from the boiler steam from the i is a vertical hire, as also preferably to the action of live boileie and exhaust steam from the engine v I In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of the improved machine, and Fig. 2 is plan View of the some. Fig, 3 is a detail elevation of the meltin tank; Fig. section, and Fig. 0 a, topples View of the same; Figs 6 and 7 one dei'sil views of one of: the s-gilsior liledes Referring" to the drawings the wheeled vehicle is provided wish a snitahle frame is mounted an oil-- F1218 SL3 garefembly comprising two cylin- Eleis, the said engine being geared in any suitable nienner to o main or driving shell- 14, Suitably sngoported on the vehicle frame is an upsiglit boiler 15 having beneath is, usual, e suitable fire heir. Also supported on the frame vehicle, :1 melting tank 1?, which preferably coznpri inner and outer wells, as shown in Fig. 4; and between which is an annular chamber or fine 18 through which the smoke and products of combustion are forced by a rotary blast fen which is" driven from a pulley 19 and is located, adjacenfi she smoke through the smoke pipe 22 having a damper 23 which may be opened when the fire is started, but which will preferably be closed when the blast fan is in operation.

The boiler is connected with the engins 13 by a steein aidinission pipe 24-, and is also connected with the melting tank by a pipe 25 by which live steam from the boiler may he sdniilted to the melting tank and through which the e zhsusli steam from the engine may also pass into the melting tank through the exhaust pipe 26 connecting the engine Til? the pipe Mounted. oil-the melting tank 17 is a hood 7 having standards 28 which ell-0rd hearshe'll: 525 provided with. fast and eys 30 and with s bevel gear 31.

awhnalo Le? g vii 31 meshes with :L'similar l3 39, secured to the top of a. suspended {lg mm shaft 33 extending down melting isnk and provided with a series of perforated and partly hollow agitalzor blades the weight; of said shaft a and of said blade-s being prererably supported by ball bearings 35 beneath the bevel gees? 32. Each of the agitator blades con sists preferably core 36 on which is cast t e pe fomtedbody of tlie'hlede 3d, end @143 said lolade is also provided at its lower side with perforations 37 for iii": s esm outlets passing through the hub oblade and the said steel pipe or core. Also the sieel pipe or core is provided at one end with egthreoded portion 38 by which blade may be screwed into the shaft 83. The s iefioi blades will preferably be so feathered or inclined in the chamber 0 t hank 1'? that blades in the upgei' so :11. oi'lhe Len will have s,

iendency to forcellie snow downwr while the blades in file l'o-wei' poll-ion of the tank will have a tendency to :l orce i-he snowupward, and the lower blades will sled he tilled upward, shown in 4 for the purpose of COll1""";:lZ1:-Jl3li the o1? centrimgel force: The agitator blades will preferably be so ssegp'ered or arranged as to e out-oi regist z witneecl i otheif in vertical series, convenience of illustraalthough for ties, ll e blades rise-shown inl igs. l and 5 as being niei'el v right engles'eo each other. The screwl ifresded portions 38 of the shanks of sgise-eor provided withsew int.v 39 by which, when of s pi gle or tubular steel blades are p 'eferebly i through openings it with tached at its sustained by supports 48 attached to the lcv 51 which is belted to the blades have been set at any desired angle of inclination, they may be permanently secured in place.

The steam pipe 25 communicates with the bottom of the hollow agitator shaft 33 so that steam entering the said pipewill pass into said shaft and then outward through the hollow shanks of the agitator blades, and through the perforations in the lower por tions of the cores of sziid blades into the tank, to act on the snow being melted. The chamber or fine 18, through which' the blast -fan forces the vsmoke, gases and heat from the boiler into the melting tank, communicates with a diamctric smoke channel or passageway 4L0 in the bottom of the melting tank, and which passageway communicates the bottom of the said tank. The openings &1 are formed in a boss a2 surmounted by a pro-. tecting plate Q3. The bottom plate 44- of the tank 17 is perforated forthe egress of the water which flows into a water outlet spent 45.

The snow to be melted is conveyed to the melting tank by an endless apron elevator 46 supported by a suitable frame 4L7 attop to the hood 2?, and partly chamber of vehicle frame; the endless apron elevator being of any usual or well-known construction and comprising moving slats, buckets or blades and running on rollers l9 and 50. The roller 50 is provid 0 with a. driving pul- U the main or driving shaft 14,.and the driving pulley of the agitator shaft 31 is also bolted to said main or driving shaft 14, art will be understood from Fig. 2; while the pulley 19 of the blast fan is also driven from the said main shaft ll by means of the pulley on said shaft tTHl which is belted to the said pulley 19.

The vehicle on which the snow melting tank for repairs apparatus is mounted is preferably self-pro- 9 pelling, by virtue of the fact that the wheels of said vehicle are connected by chain belts 53 with pulleys 54. on ashaft 55 which is geared to the engine shaft, and which will preferably have a friction clutch connection, controlled by a clutch lever 56, with a driving part connected with the engine shaft. The vehicle is referably provided with a steering wheel 54, adjacent a seat 58 for the driver, and also with a; brake .59 adjacent the said seat.

In the form of the invention shown the vehicle will preferably be driven to the place where the melter is to be operated, running forward so that the elevator will be in the rear, as shown iroFig. 1; but as the engine is of a. reversible type the vehicle may be reversed when it is desired to set it into operation, or'to locate it adjacent banks of snow to be melted. The snow to be melted may be shoveled on to the elevato'r', by the elevator, as will be understood.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a portable snow melting machine of compact and convenient form, and in which the heat from the boiler tire and boiler may be ut lized, Without waste, in melting the snow f both by the utilization of the products of combustion, and also by live steam from the boiler and exhaust steam from the en ine. As ainatte'r of fact'praeti'cal tests of t ie invention have demonstrated that snow can be melted at the rate of a cubic yardper minute at a cost of two cents per cubic yard for power; and heat, and at a cost not to exceed five cents per cubic yard for power, heat and labor.

The melting tank 17 is preferably provided with one or more doors which may be opened'to permit access to the inside of the or other purposes. One of the outer wall of the tank and the inner wall of the such doors, 60, in is shown in Fig. 3

tank will preferably be provided with a similar door.

By providing the bodies of the horizontally extending agitator blades 3a with vertical openings or perforations said blades act.- somcwhat as sieves through which the snow is sifted in a fine or comminuted condition, so that it may be melted more rapidly than it would be if it were not thus finely broken up or comminuted.

The invention is not to be understood as being limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, as these may be varied widely, within the province 0 mechanical skill, without departing from the scope of the invention.

llaving thus described our invention we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

'1. A portable snow melting machine comprising a wheeled vehicle, and a boiler, engine and melting tank mounted thereon, combined with an elevator for carrying snow into said tank, a rotary agitator for stirring the snow in the tank, means for conveying steam from the boiler into the said tank, means for conveying the smoke and products of combustion from the boiler fire into said tank, and means for rotating said agitator and for. driving said elevator.

2. A portahkv snow melting mechine comprising a wheeled vehicle, and a boiler, engine and melting, tank mounted thereon, combined with snow into said tank, a rotary agitator for stirring the snow in the tank, means forconveying steam from the boiler into the saidtank, means for conveying the smoke and products of combustion from the boiler fire into said tank, means for rotating said agitator and for driving saidvelevator, and mechanism operated by said engine for propelling the said vehicle.

or be otherwise caused to be engaged an{ elevator for carrying bination with a for 3. In a snow melting machine, the commelting tank, of an agitator for stirring the snow in said tank, said agitator consisting of a hollow rotary shaft centrally arranged; in the melting chamber of said tank andprm'ided with a series of radially projecting partly hollow blades comnuuncatmg with the chamber of said hollow shaft and provided with steam outet openings, a boiler, and connections between said boiler and said hollow shaft whereby steam from the former may be admitted to the latter.

4. In a snow melting machine, the combination with a melting tank, of an agitator stirring the snow in said tank, said agitator consisting of a hollow rotary shaft centrally arranged in the melting chamb of said tank and provided with a series radially projecting partly hollow blades comnuu'licating wit hollow shaft and provided with steam outlet openings, a boiler, and connections between said boiler and said hollow shaft whereby steam from the former may be admitted to the latter, the blades in the upper tater consisting of a hollow portion oft'hc said melting chamber being arranged to force the snow downward, and the blades in the lower portion of said tank being arranged to force thesnow upward.

5. In a snow melting machine, the combination with amelting tank, of an agitator for stirring the snow in said tank, said agi tator consisting of a hollow rotary shaft centrally arranged on the melting chamber of said tank and provided with a series of radially projecting partly hollow blades communicating with the chamber of said hollow shaft and provided with steam outlet openings, a boiler, and connections between said boiler and said hollow shaft whereby steam from the former may be ad mitted to the latter, said tank comprising l of the said melting chamber being arranged h the chamber of said an annular flue or chamber encircling the I melting chamber and communicating with the bottom of the latter, and means for forcing'smoke and products of combustion from the boiler tire through the said annular flue or chamber into the said meltil'ig chamber.

(3. in a snow melting machine. the combination with a melting tank, of an agitator for stirring the snow in said tank, said agirotary shaft centrally arranged in the melting chamber of said tank and provided with a series of radially projecting partly hollow blades communicating with the chamber of said hollow shaft and provided with steam outlet openings, a boiler, connections between said boiler and said hollow shaft whereby steam from the former may be admitted to the latter, an elevator for conveying snow into said tank, and means for operating said elevator and said rotary agitator shaft.- 7. Ina snow melting machine, the combigiue, means for conveying smoke for conveying smoke and products of comto force the snow downward, and the blades in thelower portion of said tank being arranged to force the snow upward, an elevator for conveying snow into said tank, and means for operating said elevator and said rotary agitator shaft.

8. In a snow melting machine, the combi- 5 nation with a melting tank, of an agitator for stirring the snow in said tank, said agitator consisting of a hollow rotary shaft centrally arranged in the melting chamber of said tank and provided with a series of radially projecting partly hollow blades communicating with the chamber of said hollow shaft and provided with steam outlet openings, a boiler, connections between said boiler and said hollow shaft whereby steam from the former may be admitted to the latter, said tank comprising an annular flue or chamber encircling the melting chamber and conununicating with the bottom ofthe latter, and means for forcing smoke and products of combustion from the boiler fire through the said annular fine or chamher into the said melting chamber, an elevator for conveying snow into said tank, and means for operating said elevator and said rotary agitator shaft.

9. In a snow melting machine, the combination with a melting tank and means for conveying snow thereto, of a boiler, means bustion from the boiler fire to said tank, and means for agitating the snow in said tank.

10. In a snow melting machine. the combination with a melting tank and means for conveying snow thereto, of a boiler, an enaud products of combustion from the boiler fire to said tank, means for agitating the snow in said tank, and means for conveying live steam from the boiler and exhaust steam from said engine into said tank.

11. In a snow melting machine, the combi nation with a melting tank and means for conveying snow thereto, of a boiler, means for conveying smoke and products of combustion from the boiler fire to said. tank, means for agitating the snow in said tank, and means for conveying live steam from Y the boiler into said tank. 130- for onvejringsnow thereto,

hollow,

12; In a snow melting machine, the combination with a melting tank and means for heating 'the same, of a hollowsuspended shaft centrally art-an ed in said'tank and provided with radia ly-projecting, partly a itating blades, an anti-friction w ich supports the weight of said hearing and means shaft and blades from above, for rotating said shaft.

13; In a snowmelting machine, the combination with a melting tank, means for heating the chamber of said tank, and means of an agitator in said tank for stirring and comminuting the snow, said agitator consiting of a rotat ing,\vertical shaft provided with a series of horizontally extending, perforated blades by whichth'e snow is broken up and through which it sifted. I

14. In a snow melting machine, the combination with a melting tank, means for heatseries of horizontally ing thechamber of said tank, and means for conveying snow thereto,

said agitator consisting of a hollow,

snow, rotating,

ext filing, perforated blades by'which the snow ,LS broken up and through which it is sifted, said blades having hollow, perforated cores ,emmminioating with said hollow shaft, so that steam entering the latter may pass through said erforated cores into i of said tank.

In testimony whereof we 'afiix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses. OSCAR MULLER.

MICHAEL VVILLNUS.

CHRISTIAN WEISHAAF Witnesses: v

' HENRY Moon,

FRANZ SIMBIATV I of an agitator in said tank for stirring and oomminuting the" I vertical shaft provided with a the melting chamber 

